Method of treating gas.



UNITED STATES JAMES S. MoILHENNY, OF WASHINGTON-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF A PATENT oFFICE.

TO PETER YOUNG, OF'PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OE TREATING GAS.

Specification of Letters Patgnt;

Patented April as, 1908.

Application filed April 11,1907. Serial No. 367,551.

To all whom it may concern."

.Washing'ton, in the District 'of Columbia,

have invented new and useful Im rovements in Methods of Treating Gas, of W ich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the method of treating of coal or water gas intermediate the generator and the distributing system, and has for its object, first, to more efficiently remove therefrom the tar and heavy hydrocarbon oils that are precipitated by a reduc; tion in temperature of the gas after it leaves the generator; secondly, to provide for a gradual cooling of the as; thirdly, to. rovide an alternate cooling and scrub ing whereby the gas will be successively subjected to said ste s in a series of stages, each stage of coolin eing immediately followed by a stage 0? frictional scrubbing, and, fourthly, to provide, if desired, for successive washings of the gas'with water at substantially the temperature of said gas at each washing step. 1

In the accompanying ing a convenient apparatus for-carrying out my improved processes: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view ofja combined condenser or cooler, scrubber and washer. Fig. 2 is' a horizontal sectional view'of the same. trating a condenser or cooler alone. Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to'Fig. 2, of the construction shown in Fig. 3. V

Inthe said drawings, referring to Figs. 1 and2, the reference numeral 1 denotes the casing of the structure, into one end of which near its top is tapped a gas main 2 leading from the hydraulic main of a coal gas apparatus, or the seal box of a water gas apparatus. Said pipe leads into a chamber 3 containing a series of vertically disposed ipes 4 for conveying a suitable cooling me ium, such as water. Said chamber 3 is provided at its bottom with a cooling medium receiving compartment 5, into which the pipes 4 are tapped, and at its top with a similar compartment 6 receiving the upper ends of said pipes 4, as shown, and having connected therewith a discharge pipe 7 for the water. The chamber 3 is sealed gas-tight except at its lower end-where there is an opemng 8 leading into the adjoining chamber 9. This chamber is filled in the usual manner with drawings, illustrat- Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illus-.

any suitable scrubbing ap aratus, such as slats 10, and is closedgas-tight except at its upper end, where an'opening 11 is provided communicating with the next adjoining.

chamber 12. Said chamber 12 is substan ested within said pipes 13, however, is aseries of overflow pipes 16, whose u per ends terminate some distance above the ottom of chamber, 14 and withinthe same,",and which at their lower ends are turned horizontally the chambers 19 and 21 being provided with upper and lower compartments similar to the compartments 5 and 6 of chamber 3, and with similar vertical piping, the upper comartments thereof communicating with theower compartments of the next cooling chambers in a manner, identical with said communication between chambers 12 and 3 through pipes 16.

The chambers 20.and 22 are provided with suitable apparatus similar to chambers 9 and 17 and the points of communication between 'all these chambers 19,20, 21 and 22 is such that the gas passes up through the scrubbin chambers 20 and 22 and down through coo ing chambers '19 and 21. The chamber 22 has communicating therewith at its upper end a gas main 23 leading to the distributmg system, while a pipe 24 leads from the exterior into the lower compartment of cooling chamber 21 to supply the cooling medium to the apparatus.

From the above description the operatlon of my im roved apparatus will be under-. stood as f0 lows: It will be observed that the cooling chambers 3, 12, 19 and 21 graduallyincrease in size from the entrance side of the gas towards its exit side, and that reversely the scrubbing chambers 9, 17, 20 and 22 graduall decrease in size, the chambers 9 and 21' eing, respectively, about twice the chamber 3 from main 1 at a temperature of from 120 to 200 F. and, owing to the comparatively small area of said chamber 3, must pass therethrough at a comparatively rapid rate, and is discharged therefrom through opening 8 into the lower end of -scrubbing chamber 9. The cooling medium in the pipes 4 of chamber 3, having by its passage through chambers 21, 19 and 12 absorbed heat from the preceding gas, has reached pipes 4 at a tem erature not much below that of the gas in c amber 3, so that the cooling action on. said gas in chamber 3 is comparatively slight; due not only to this fact, but also to the fact of rapid passage of the gas through chamber 3 on account of the than through chamber 9.

small area of the latter. The gas entering at the bottom of scrubbing chamber 9 filters slowly up through the slats in same, due to the much larger area of said chamber as compared with chamber 3, and is deprived of much of the heavy tars and water contained therein, the temperature of the gas being but little lowered. The gas then passes from the top of chamber 9 into cooling chamber 12, where, owing to the somewhat larger area of said chamber as compared with chamber 3, it passes downward more slowly than through chamber 3, and yet faster than through scrubbing chamber 9. The cooling medium in the pipes of chamber 12, being necessarily somewhat cooler than that in the pipes 4 of chamber 3, further reduces the temperature of the gas, and this reduction is greater by comparison than in chamber 3, owing to the larger area of exposure in chamber 12 and the consequent slower movement of the gas therethrough. The gas passing from the bottom of chamber 12 into scrubbing chamber 17 is subject to a scrubbing action similar to that in chamber 9except that, as chamber 17 is somewhat smaller than chamber 9, its passage therethrough is faster successively the gas passes through chambers 19, 20, 21 and 22, its speed through the scrubbers increasing, and its speed through the cooling'chambers ,decreasin and out to the distributing system throug main 23. In a similar manner the cooling medium, such as water, is

supplied to the device through supply pipe 24, either at the water system pressure or through a force pump, and passes successively through the pi mg m chambers 21, 19,

12 and 3, it being 0 served that the size of sald chambers successively decreases from chamber 21 to chamber 3, so that the cooling .medium must necessarily proportionately increase its s eed in its passage through the device. Sai cooling medium by its successive contacts with t e cooling gas becomes proportionately heated, the "result being that the gas temperature is gradually reduced by successive and increasing exposures to the cooling mediu the latter being each of the cooling chambers at a temperature but little below that of the gas. The result of this combined scrubbing and gradual cooling is that the removal of tar or ammonia and other deleterious substance is effectually accomplished, and without the re-absorption of any of the illuminants, thus providing a rich, clean gas for the distributing system.

It is frequently very desirable that in addition to the frictional scrubbing, the gas be subjected to a washing action in the scrubbers, and this Iaccomplish in an improved manner by locating at the top of the scrubbing chambers 9, 17, 20 and 22 spraying pipes 25, the pipes of each chamber being supplied through pipes 26 with water from the preceding cooling chamber, suitable cut-offs 27 being provided to regulate or cut'oif the flow. By preceding cooling chamber I mean when considered with respect to the direction of flow of, the gas. Thus, the spraying pipes of chamber 20 are supplied from the-compartment at the top of chamber 19, the result being that said water is sprayed into chamber 20 at a temperature approximating that of the gas which it acts upon, and this is true from end to end of the apparatus, this feature being important, as it does not subject the gas at any time to excessive cooling action.

I have illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 a modified construction in which the scrubbing chambersare dispensed with, the casing 28 containing a series of cooling chambers 29, 30, 31 and 32 alone with small intervening spaces 33 providing upward passages for the gas between said chambers, as shown by the arrows, the gas being admitted from main 34 and discharged through main 35. As in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cooling medium is admitted through supply pipe 36 and, taken off through discharge plpe 37, the interior construction with respect to the cooling medium circulation being the same as injFigs. 1 and 2, it being observed that the size of the cooling chambers successively decreases from the cooling medium inlet towards its exit. This applaratus is designed for use in plants where 0t er means are employed to scrub the gas, and is intended solely for the gradual cooling of the gas in the manner hereinbefore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let to the action of said cooling medium.

2. The method of treating gas, which consists in assing said'gas through a condenserin one irection, passing a coollng medium through said condenser in theopposite direction in such manner as to exert its cooling action on said gas, andsuccessively increasing the s eed of saidcooling medium in its passage t rough said condenser. f v

3. The method of treating gas, which consists in assing said gas through acondenser in one irec'tion, successively decreasing the speed of said gas in its passage through said condenser .whlle subjected to the action of said cooling medium, passing a cooling medium through said condenser in the oppositedirection in such manner as to exert its coolmg action on said gas, and successively. increasing the speed of said ooohng medium in.

its passage through said condenser.

'jected to said scrubbing actions;

4; The methodof treating as, which consists in pass' the same t rough a condenser, subjectmg it to successive scrubbing actions 'in its pas'sa e through said condenser, and successive yincreasing the speed of the gas through the scrubbers in its pas D sage through said condenser.

5. The method of treating gas, which consists in' subjectin said gas alternately to coolingand scrub in actions, and increasing-the speed of trave of said gas while sub- 6. The method of treating gas, which consists, in subject' said gasalternately-to cooling and scru bf actions, increasing, the s eed of travel 0 said gas while subject to said scrubbing actions, and ,de-

- my hand in the witnesses.

creasing the speed of travel ofsaid gas while.

subjected to said cooling actions.

7. The method of treating gas, 'which consists in assing said gas through a condenser in one irection, passing water through said condenser in the opposite direction and 'subi j ecting said. gas thereby to successive cooling at temperaturesapp'roximating that of the gas inits different. stages of transit.

9. The method oftreatinggas, which consists in passing said gas through a condenser and there subjectingit to successive scrubbing actions, passing water as a cooling medium through said condenser in the opposite direction, and subjecting said gas to succes:

'sive washing. actions in said scrubbers-with Water taken from said cooling water after its cooling contact with the gas about to be,

Washed thereby.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set JAMES S. MoILHENNY. Witnesses:- PERCY B.H1'LLS,"'-

.- G. M. COPENHAVER.

presence of two subscribing 

